Corvus Review
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to issue 2 of Corvus Review. We are so pleased to bring you another selection of supremely talented scribes from all over the country. Whether this is their first rodeo or just a tour stop on a list of many, the writers in this issue are more than simple storytellers. They are scribes, representing many diverse facets in a broad spectrum of writing style. This issue, as was the case with issue 1, offers a range of both poetry and prose. Truly, Corvus has something for everyone this time around. Happy Scribbling! Janine “Typing Tyrant” Mercer EIC, Corvus Review CORVUS REVIEW Issue 2: Spring 2 TOC A Heated Discussion between Two English Gentlemen Euphrates Moss 2-3 Alan Swyer 3-8 For James Tate Euphrates Moss Mark McKee 9-10 Grove Koger 10-11 And I say to you Paul Lewellan 12-17 Anne Britting Oleson 18-19 And I say to you, sir! And I say to you Michael Lee Johnson 19 Sandra Anfang 20-21 And I say to you, sir! Richard Fein 21 Wendy Taylor Carlisle 22-23 And I say to you And I say to you, sir! Chad McClendon 23-29 Heather M. Browne 29-30 And I say to you… David Spicer 30-31 Scott Archer Jones 31-37 My Mom’s Coffee Order M.J. Iuppa 37-38 Rick Hartwell 38 Quad 4 Cael Jacobs 39-42 Jodi Sykes 42-43 Grande Kyle Hemmings 44 Art Heifetz 45 Half decaf ½ Extra hot XH/XF William Cass 45-50 J.W. Mark 50-51 Extra foamy Janette One raw sugar 1RS Valentina Cano 51-52 William Doreski 52-53 Hazelnut H Latte L Christina Murphy 53-54 Richard King Perkins II 54 The Sound1 Contributor’s Page 55-57 And soundness is the highest grace About the Editor 58 The zenith of defined completion The foremost object of compulsion The paramount necessity of all structure Yeats “wrote for the ear” in his verse When he fine-tuned the sound to perfection And struck lines for the eye invariably2 Emily Dickinson found her voice in purity Of poems, her life, her dress, herself, etc. Whitman found the sound in heterodoxy Completely circumventing rhyme and meter Shakespeare found it in virtuosic wordplay Practically tuning language for his plays Joyce found it in the human menagerie Completely re-tooling The Odyssey for life Chaucer found it in the celebration of life The vibrancy of short stories and characters 1 From the hills, from the clouds. Echo to Narcissus (suffixfusion), Narcissus to Reflexion (pale). 2 I obviously write just as much for the eye. 3 And contrary to the conceits of Keats, the Friendship Lush3, Science is fully reconcilable with poetics Alan Swyer And even a boon to such happenings "What are you up to today?" Rothbard Those who sleep would do so soundly asked over the phone, breaking a silence that That they could rise invigorated, aware was well into its fifth month. The logician seeks fidelity and circuity4 In the soundness of a given claim "What do you have in mind?" Stern Mathmeticians seek the sound replied. Often in the variable X And Ex Y simply has no solution "Lunch at the Indian place." Though life will provide hints: The sound can be found everywhere5 "I'll meet you at 1." And light: so much can be said For eyes well that can see Though curious not just as to why – but Just as much can be said especially why at that particular moment – For ears as well to hear: Stern did not push, knowing that he would The sound an object makes find out soon enough. Can tell more than the appearance. The very worst of clichés it seems Noticeably devoid of the bravado for Is to see “right through” someone or other which he had become known, Rothbard drifted into the restaurant nearly twenty minutes late. —As false as a note found in Mozart’s joke score "I went brain dead," he explained, Riddled with common amateur’s clams "driving up and down Santa Monica No, nobody ever sees through anyone Boulevard like a total idiot until I Literally or metaphorically remembered the place is on Wilshire." But doctors always carry stethoscopes. "It happens," Stern responded. "Not to me. Let's hit the buffet table, and then I'll start my tale of woe." Together the two of them filled their plates with rice, eggplant, curried vegetables, and tandoori chicken, and then returned to their booth as cups of chai were brought over together with a basket of hot naan. "I know you've never been a big Barb fan –" Rothbard then began. "Hey –" 3 Lush verse, to be sure, but also an inveterate imbiber of the spirits of ignorantualism. "You've been good about it, biting your 4 True Premise + True Premise ––> True Conclusion lip –" 5 Not so rare, it would appear. 4 "C'mon –" Rothbard pondered Stern's words for a moment, then took a sip of tea. "So what do "And not getting pissed that you and I you suggest?" he asked. never see each other. But all that's over. Want to know why?" "A call to a realtor I know." "If you want to tell me." An hour-and-a-half later, as he and Stern pulled up in front of a little cottage on Rothbard grimaced. "She wants out." the beach side of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Rothbard shook his head. To Rothbard's surprise, Stern said nothing. "What's the matter?" Stern asked. "No comment?" Rothbard inevitably "I can't even begin to imagine what asked. Barb would say." "What do you want me to say?" "Does it matter?" "You can rub it in if you want." For the first time that day, Rothbard brightened. "Hell, no!" "No thanks. Together, the two men got out of the car "So what do you think of the Oakwood and approached the smiling realtor who was Apartments?" standing by the front door. "That your idea? Or hers?" "Ron, this is Daphne," Stern said. "Daphne, Ron." "She figures since they rent furnished places. And there's a pool –" After a tour of the house and a discussion of terms, Rothbard was standing "Plus lonely souls out here for a month on its wooden deck overlooking the beach or two on business. Or like you, separated when Stern stepped out to join him. from their wives –" "Gonna take it?" Stern asked. "That bad?" asked Rothbard. "Not sure I can afford to. "Worse. Your kids won't want to visit. You'll be wanting to drown your sorrows or "But can you afford not to?" jump off a bridge. And meanwhile –" "Meaning?" When Stern hesitated, Rothbard put down the drumstick he was gnawing on. "Life's not just about bucks." "Yeah?" "I know, but –" "Guess who will be living large on your dime." "And here's something that'll please you. Know who once rented the place?" 5 "Fire away." start of sorts thanks to an entry-level job working for an aging comic, which made him "Koufax when he was pitching for the an unlikely guy in that universe since he was Dodgers." able to read without his lips moving. Next came a gig writing concert and album reviews "You're the best friend I have," for a trade paper, before a leap into what's Rothbard said after the lease was signed and known as the reissue business. That meant they were back in Santa Monica. "Promise that in addition to finding hidden treasures in you'll come out and visit." record companies' vaults, Stern also got to interact with long-time heroes such as Ray "Okay." Charles, Solomon Burke, and Lowell Fulson, plus lesser known but far from unimportant "Often?" music biz figures like Mable John, Sid Feller, Clydie King, and Hank Crawford. "Got my word," Stern said, knowing full well that even before Rothbard's wife became During the time Stern was rising from first a nuisance, than a road block, getting writing introductory essays and liner notes to together had been a running joke for ages. producing compilations, then adding additional importance by managing acts that included, during a tempestuous period, the Though hardly reflective by nature, notorious Ike Turner, Rothbard was taking a Stern found himself pondering something Rothbard said while headed back to his office. more circuitous route to the West Coast. If he was indeed Rothbard's best friend, then the two of them clearly had different While toiling as a substitute teacher in definitions of the word. working-class New Jersey towns, Rothbard suddenly got a second chance when a bachelor uncle died, bequeathing the To Stern, Rothbard was mainly wherewithal for his nephew to try law school. someone who'd been part of the scenery, off That, however, proved to be easier said than and on, for what felt like forever. Hailing done when applications were rejected first by from the same New Jersey blue collar town, Seton Hall and Rutgers, then several other they had only occasionally interacted there in nearby places. Undaunted, he stumbled upon anything but the most casual way. Thanks to an unaccredited program in the woods of a measure of prowess in sports – baseball, Pennsylvania that was willing to accept basketball, and even boxing – Stern had run anyone who could walk, talk, and afford with what was considered to be the fast crowd, whereas Rothbard had been tuition. nondescript almost to the point of being invisible. Whether it was due to fate, karma, or just plain luck, Rothbard finished his studies just as a new test was offered to law school It was only later, when the two of them grads.